I tried to see what he looked like, but it was too dark. All I could hear was his footsteps and the sound of him unzipping his pants along with the splatter of urine hitting gravel. I wanted to run, and felt the urge to do so. I slowly slid down deeper into the ditch as Malachi flashed his eyes at me and grabbed my hand.
“Don’t move, even if he pisses all over you,” he moved beside me and whispered in my ear.
“This area is very nice,” he said as I heard him zipped his trousers back up, “quiet, but nice. Kind of reminds me of the rural setting of the vineyards of Shangri-La.”
“Thank you, but we need to be moving,” Ayil prompted.
“Yes, of course,” he replied.
“Father, are you coming? I have council to attend to in a few hours,” said a younger male voice.
“Yes, yes, I know,” the car door opened, “just to deal with a few monsters and we’ll be on our way.”
I held my breath until the sound of the engine faded.
“I told you, Seth,” Nessa said with more fear than resentment. “They’ll be after us.”
Seth glanced down the road and then turned to us. “All the more reason to hurry.”
Seth
With a few drops of my blood on the portal threshold, we were in Iethia. It was dawn here, and I knew we had to move quickly. The portal had taken us back to the same place when we left, except this time, the portal wasn’t in ruins, but in near perfect condition.
“The angels that were with Ayil must have used it.” Malachi gazed up at the intricate structure that glowed in white light and its silver-lined stones that were carved with foreign inscriptions.
“It’s being monitored,” Nessa stood beside Malachi reading what she could of the words that were nothing more than scribbles to me. “I mean it’s being watched…they know we used it.” Nessa turned and gazed at me with worry.
“Great,” Malachi said as April stood frozen gazing up at it as if mesmerized.
Everything, I knew, was new and maybe a little frightening to her. I walked towards her when suddenly she raised her hand and expelled a burst of light. The ball of glowing light floated through the air like a perfectly spherical bubble towards the portal.
“April,” I said as she turned and smiled gazing at me with indigo colored eyes—Ezra’s eyes.
I took a step back as she turned towards the ball of light and guided it with her hands. With a final wave of her hands, it went into the portal.
April stood in front of the portal with arms outstretched as it glowed brighter, and then exploded with a burst of sparkling light. I turned, grabbing Nessa as I did to protect her from the blast. Malachi fell to the ground as April stood undisturbed from the force.
Sparks burned the air around us and landed on the leaf-covered ground sizzling as they did. I pushed myself up as Nessa and I looked at the portal that once was all silver and white light, was now black-grey and had emitted a blue light.
“April,” Malachi walked up to her as she stood gazing up at the portal.
“The angels won’t be able to use this portal—we control it now,” she said, looking up at Malachi.
“How did you do that?” I asked standing beside her.
She looked at me with her brown eyes. “I-I don’t know exactly. I just knew what to do. It’s sealed.” She glanced back at with a mix of awe and accomplishment. Ezra had helped her—not only from the obvious, but I had looked into her eyes.
“Are you alright?” Malachi turned April towards him.
“Yes, I’m ok,” she replied with a nod.
“Let’s move then, because even sealed portals won’t stop determined angels.” Nessa stood at the forests edge and then turned to be swallowed by low branches.
The night market at Nethopania, was just that—a night market. Tolerated by angels, and sometimes used by demons, the market was a mixture of everything Iethia had to offer from legal to illegal. You could get anything here from anywhere. I had only been there once with Malachi when we were younger, and on the grounds of adolescent curiosity rather than the importance of a mission.
Music played, venders displayed their wares outside their shop doors, and it was crowded with people from all walks of life. Rich, poor, and everything in between came here.
The stone buildings were small, two-leveled structures, and served as the business on the lower level and as the peddler’s home on the second. Arranged in square blocks, about three or four buildings stood connected and separated by dark, narrow alleyways that no one would dare travel down—at least not at night.
Nethopania used to be a grand city, but after the Angel-Demon wars, most of the historic sites had been laid to waste. It became a trading place that kept the old name, but from what Uncle Hes had told me, it once was a place of architecture, culture and beauty.
“Any of the buildings look familiar?” I asked April as Malachi walked beside her and Nessa beside me.
She shook her head as she gazed around at everything.
“Let’s start on Center Street, it might be a little more of what we are looking for. This is Stack Street—nothing but herbs and food items here,” Malachi glanced over his shoulder as we stood in the middle of the half-paved, half-dirt street. “Remember, that’s where we bought fireworks.”
“Fireworks?” Nessa questioned. “You’ve been here before?”
Malachi and I exchanged glances.
“It was a long time ago before we met you,” Malachi said quickly.
“I’ve known you since I was four.” She crossed her arms. “You’re both not much older than me, and I remember you having fireworks and setting them off just a couple of years ago.” Nessa switched her eyes to me. “You said your Uncle Hes gave them to you.”
“Make way!” A voice yelled over the crowd as a small, horse-drawn buggy tried to make its way through the thick crowd.
“Come on, Center Street,” Malachi said pulling April’s hand, and was quickly swallowed into the crowd.
The mass of market goers slowly dispersed, as the buggy inched its way through the crowd behind us. Grumbles and profanities erupted from the crowd towards the advancing buggy. A few people pounded on the outside of it as the driver equally exchanged vulgarities with the crowd.
Something didn’t seem right about that buggy. Sure, there are lots of people that come to the market to buy things or services that are illegal in their realms, but to make a scene in such a way isn’t normal. Most who come here don’t want anyone to know they have been to the night market in Nethopania.
“Come on, Seth.” Nessa tugged on my hand. “Malachi is probably already over there, let’s go.”
I held Nessa close to me as we turned the corner to a darker side of the night market.
8
April
It was hard to concentrate on remembering what the place I went to as a child. I was mesmerized by everything here. The music, laughter, and even though it had a dangerous edge to it, I still found it exciting. In fact, its dangerous edge is what made it intriguing.
“So there’s no cops that come here, no laws that control what goes on here?” I asked Malachi as we walked down the darkened street that had fewer people on it than the one we were just at.
“No, it takes care of itself. So there are no laws but the laws that the market makes up for itself,” he said, looking down at me with his icy blue eyes. “Anything look familiar? We’re kind of on a schedule here.” He looked over his shoulder and back towards where we had come. “Seth and Nessa should have caught up by now.” He gazed back with concern.
“It was a tent that we went into. I can remember that clearly because I thought it was beautiful.” I looked around at the wood and stone buildings with trash strewn and cluttered to the fronts of the buildings.
Some of the buildings looked vacant, while others were busy and brightly lit with people, some wearing hooded coats that covered their faces, and others that dressed elaborately in silky, flowing clothes. Also, there were a range of
different looking people—or I guess people. Dark skinned, light skinned, tattooed, long hair, no hair…it was a cornucopia of different nationalities all bartering, trading, purchasing or selling things illegally or legally.
“It also smelled of roses,” I said, still taking in the night market scene.
“Roses?” Malachi questioned.
“Yeah, it smelled sweet,” I said taking a whiff of the air. “Not like how it does now.”
“Your mother could have put an enchantment on you. This place isn’t exactly an amusement park for kiddies.” Malachi tucked his hand around my elbow and looped his arm through mine. “Something’s happened to Seth and Nessa.” He tugged on my arm. “Come on, they might be in trouble or Nessa found something to look at—I hope it was the later of the two.”
We went back the way we’d come, and weaved through the thickening crowd. The only source of light was what hung on the buildings or poured through the windows of the buildings. The ground was littered with bits of paper, and in some places slimy making it hard to keep up with Malachi.
“Do you think they maybe went the opposite direction and are on Center Street?” I asked. “Maybe we should go back?”
“No, I don’t think they’re there. Even though it’s crowded at this end, it would take longer to go around the block the other way.” Malachi looked grim. “Something’s happened.” He craned his head scanning the crowd as someone suddenly bumped into my shoulder.
I turned to see a woman wearing a burgundy cape with a hood so large, it covered her face. She stopped and placed her hand on my shoulder. I stood frozen in that brief moment as her face was illuminated by a ball of light she held in her hand. She gazed at me with her blue-silver eyes, and smiled at me with pointed teeth.
“Excuse me, April Snow,” she said, and curled her way through the crowd.
“Malachi, she knew my name,” I said, and pulled him in the direction she went.
“Who?” Malachi asked nearly tripping. “April, we have to find Seth and Nessa.” He tried to stop me, but I let go of his arm and followed the woman that moved like liquid through the crowd.
She twisted and turned and I nearly lost her a few times. Her cape stood out like a bright flag among the dark-clothed people. Malachi caught up with me demanding that I stop, but I couldn’t.
I reached for his hand, and latched onto it. “Malachi, she knew my name—it’s her—the gypsy woman.”
We popped out of the mass of people and to a field of grass that swayed in the wind. The moon hung like a pendant overhead as fluffy clouds lazily drifted by. The air was cool and sweet—like roses. A small tent etched in flickering gold threads, sat before us with a thin crack of light lining the opening.
Malachi and I stood there gazing at it as the crowd of the night market faded to the night sounds of the wilderness. Suddenly, a blast of light flooded the ground in front of us. Malachi pushed me behind him, and pulled out a dagger.
“Are you coming in or what? I’ve haven’t got all damn night,” said the woman with the burgundy cape, now off and revealing her black hair that curled around her shoulders like thick vines. “I’ve traveled far, so please, come in.” She held open the flap for us and motioned with her hand to enter.
“Who are you?” Malachi demanded. “And where are we?” He pointed the dagger towards her.
She cocked her head to the side and smiled with her sharp teeth. “I hate knives and weapons.” She flicked her hand and suddenly the dagger flew from Malachi’s hand towards the woman. She casually picked up a narrow board and held it in front of her face just as the blade embedded into it. “You can have it when you leave, my young monster. And if it makes you feel any better, I go by many names, but you can call me Meena.”
We stood looking at her as she gazed back at us. “If you want this back, little monster,” she said holding up the board with Malachi’s dagger sticking from it, “then you better come in and listen to what I have to say.” She pulled open the flap and motioned for us to go in.
Malachi leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Is this her? Because I do have another dagger,” he patted the outside of his jacket.
“She knew my name, it’s her.” I stepped forward and towards the tent.
Inside was brightly lit with rows of glowing balls that encircled the edge of the tent floor. The dark walls had gold and silver threads looping through one another without pattern as if they were sewn randomly. A silver, circular rug sat in the middle of the floor, and Meena motioned for us to sit.
“I’ve got other appointments to keep, so please sit,” she said, taking a spot on the rug.
Malachi and I sat down with our backs towards the opening. This seemed to bother Malachi as he glanced over his shoulder and sat sideways on the rug.
“Don’t worry, Malachi, no one is going to sneak up behind you. My tent is protected, and I only allow who I want in here. Besides, you have another dagger in your left pocket—Seth gave it to you for your birthday last year.” She smiled at Malachi with a twinkle in her eyes.
His mouth trembled slightly as he looked surprised. “How did you know that?” Malachi asked with a hinder mistrust.
“Well, first of all, I can hear the slightest whisper in the air, and,” she sat the glowing ball of light she held in her hand on the rug between us. “I have to confess, Seth bought that dagger here at the market at one of my shops here in Nethopania. I can always sense them, and they are a very good blade. But I’m not here interrupting my schedule to talk about daggers.” She shifted her eyes to me. “April needs the final touches on her hexmark if you are going to even attempt to win any battles with demons, angels, or any other creature.”
“Did you put it there? I remember coming with my mother and…”
Meena waved her hand and smiled, revealing her pointed teeth. Her appearance should have been frightening to me, but it wasn’t.
“Please listen to me, both of you,” she said, extending her gentle gaze to Malachi. “Demons, the bad ones, are gaining strength in their army. They no longer need the shadows to survive. The serum was a failure when consumed by humans, but it isn’t when consumed by demons. It took them some time to figure it out because they don’t need to consume anything to exist. The only problem they have is that there isn’t enough to go around.”
“How do you know this? You’re just a gypsy.” Malachi questioned with a slightly amused, but insulted laugh from Meena.
“You young monsters think you know everything, especially given a task by a monster that is practically a celebrity. Did you ever think Hesediel sent you because he didn’t want to risk anyone of importance to him?” She unrolled a small, velvet pouch in front of her. “No, I didn’t think you did by the look on your face.”
“You don’t know our mission, and what’s involved.” Malachi gazed steadily at Meena.
“I know lots of thing, lots of people, monsters, angels, and a few demons. The one in the stone that Seth carries around wants out, and is calling for her clan as we speak.”
Malachi stood up as if he had just remembered something important. “Seth and Nessa!” He went over to the door and tore open the flap.
A gust of wind and a blast of light poured in knocking Malachi backwards to the ground.
Meena got up and tied the flap shut.
“That isn’t the night market out there. Where are we?” Malachi demanded getting up.
“Time is of the essence for me, so I’ll be blunt. We are in a pocket inside a portal that I use, or actually, in fact own. I travel all the time, so I needed something to make my days or nights go by a lot faster. Don’t worry, little monster, I’ll have you back in time to find the rest of your party, but first,” she extended her open hand towards me, “I need to finish something I’ve been working on for some time.”
Gazing into Meena’s eyes, I extended my arm. With a flick of her fingers, a thin, silver wand, almost like a needle, came out between her thumb and index finger. She ran her hand over my mark and stared
at it for a few seconds before deciding where to start.
“You have done two Takings. That’s good, but the second, a girl monster, clings to you, but is no threat. You have more strength in you this time, and I won’t have to add much.”
Meena gently glided her needle-wand across my skin. I prepared myself for the sting and burn that I remembered as a little girl, but it didn’t hurt. Instead, I felt something stir inside me, a strength that was being filled and something finally being connected. Just like links in a chain that join together to make a full circle.
“There,” Meena said, with a flick of her fingers retracted the wand. “My masterpiece is done.” I leaned back as I gazed at the delicate lines that swirled nearly reaching the inside of my elbow and wrist. “Though it was always there, so I can’t stake claims totally on it, but I’ve added to it, and it is one of my best.”
“You mean I was born with a hexmark?” I asked as Meena’s eyes slid from my hexmark to my eyes.
She smiled. “You had an insufficient one that your mother knew it was and brought you to the best to make it not only whole, but beautiful as well.”
“You knew my mother?” I asked.
She studied me for a moment before answering. “No, not really,” she said. “I’ve heard of her kind, but I didn’t know her personally. April,” she breathed my name. “If it is family history you are searching, you’ve come to the wrong place. I’ve none to offer. That is something you must do by yourself.”
“What do you know of the serum?” Malachi asked cutting off my next question. “Who are the demons that have consumed it? Where are they?”
Meena shook her head. “My, my, my, you have a lot of questions, but unfortunately, I can’t answer them for you. I’ve given you all the information that I know, and I believe it’s more than you had when you came to me.” She stood up and gazed down at us with her hands on her hips. “I’ve got other engagements that I need to attend to. But I’m not going to leave you stranded.” With a wave of her hands, the flaps to the tent opened and pulled back with a tight snap. “I’m leaving you on Textile Street at the night market in Nethopania. There you’ll find at the end of that street, the answer to both of your questions, and your missing companions who I think are in a better predicament than you both are.”
Dancing With Monsters Page 13